Episode 428: Galatians 4:1-7

The apostle Paul wrote emphatically that Christians are sons and daughters of God, and therefore, Jesus is the Christian’s brother. Did you hear that? It’s truly remarkable! And this position of son and daughter is not just on paper; you enjoy this position experientially. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, something supernatural occurred. At the moment of your salvation, the Lord Jesus released His Holy Spirit into your heart, and your spirit came alive. You were born again!
As a result of your new birth, the Holy Spirit is constantly at work bringing you into a fuller, richer relationship with the Lord Jesus and the Father. One of the Spirit’s most wonderful works is to give you the unqualified assurance that God is your Father. The Holy Spirit reminds you again and again that you truly are a child of God—and nothing can ever change that reality. Your spirit rightfully cries out, “Abba, Father!”
 But there is more. Since you are a son or daughter of God, you are not a slave. In fact, you are a joint heir with Jesus. You are in the family of God.

Commenting on what we see in Galatians 4:1-7, Tim Keller writes, “The Son’s purpose was to secure for us the legal status of our sonship. By contrast, the Spirit’s purpose is to secure the actual experience of it.”